The present invention relates generally to retail terminals that utilize bar codes and bar code databases and, more particularly, to retail terminals that utilize bar codes and item security databases.
Retail terminals such as checkout terminals utilize bar code technology to perform recognition of items and the determination of their price. This is accomplished by scanning an item""s bar code and looking up a price corresponding to the scanned bar code in a price look-up table or database. The look-up table or database contains bar codes and prices for every item offered for sale in the store. Each bar code is associated with a price. Thus, once an item is scanned, the item""s obtained bar code is correlated to the same bar code in the look-up table or database in order to determine the price of the item. The item""s price is then returned to the retail terminal. The look-up table or database is typically maintained in a storage device that is remote from the retail terminal but in communication therewith via a network.
Retail checkout systems that allow a consumer to perform the checkout process without the aid of a clerk are in vogue. These types of retail checkout systems are typically termed unassisted or self-checkout systems. In the case of such unassisted or self-checkout systems, the scanned bar code is utilized to determine a non-price characteristic of the scanned item in addition to the price in order to alleviate fraud. This is accomplished in the same manner as price determination, i.e. the scanned item""s bar code is used to look up a non-price characteristic of the item in an item security database or table.
Particularly, in such unassisted or self-checkout systems a characteristic, of a scanned item is used to verify that the item scanned correlates to what is placed in a bag. The item security database 24 maintains one or more item security characteristics and/or characteristic data correlated to a bar code.
A common item characteristic is weight. To verify weight, a bagging scale is typically provided under the bagging area such that items being bagged are automatically weighed by the scale. In order for this to be accomplished, the item security database contains a weight value or a weight database is maintained for all the merchandise in the store. In order to produce the weight database, the weight of each item must be entered into the database. In one form, the weight database is designed to learn weight of an item if a scanned bar code does not or is not correlated to a weight in the weight database. This is termed a weight learning database.
A problem common to databases but particularly with item security databases such as weight learning databases is that a bar code or Universal Product Code (UPC) may be implemented in a variety of formats. In one form, a UPC for a particular item has a fixed UPC. In another form, the UPC may have a supplemental portion in addition to the fixed UPC. Additionally, an item such as a periodical or magazine may include issue number or date in the UPC. Each week, month or the like, a new issue of the magazine is released. The UPC for the magazine thus changes accordingly. If the UPC is constantly changing, then each issue the system will not be able to use previous security characteristics/information (e.g. weight) for that item, since it would appear to the system to be a new item every time. The UPC scanner must be able to read the variety of formats. For various reasons, it is not desirable for a database to have duplicate entries. For example, duplicate entries unnecessarily enlarge a database. Further, duplicate entries may cause software conflicts. As such, duplication of database entries is necessarily avoided.
There is thus a possible problem and/or conflict with the variety of formats of UPCs regarding duplication of bar code entries with respect to an item specific security information in an item security database. Therefore, it would thus be desirable to be able to avoid such possible problem/conflict with duplication of bar code entries for an item with respect to item specific security information in an item security database.
It would also be desirable to avoid possible conflicts/problems when retrieving item security information from an item security database for an item having a variable, non-weight security characteristic.
It would further be desirable to avoid possible conflicts/problems when learning security information for an item security database for an item having a variable, non-weight security characteristic.
The subject invention is system, apparatus and method that, in one form, aids in preventing/avoiding duplication of bar code entries in a database. Particularly, the system, apparatus and method aids in preventing/avoiding duplication of bar code entries in an item security database regarding an item having variable, non-weight security characteristics.
In one form, the subject invention provides a method of retrieving security data for an item from an item security database. The method includes the steps of: (a) scanning an item to obtain its bar code; (b) correlating the obtained bar code to a custom bar code format in a custom bar code format file; (c) manipulating the obtained bar code according to the correlated custom bar code format; and (d) using the manipulated bar code to retrieve security data for the scanned item from an item security database.
In another form, the subject invention provides a checkout system having a checkout terminal, a custom bar code file in communication with the checkout terminal and containing a custom bar code format, and an item security database in communication with the checkout terminal and containing a bar code entry for an item that varies with respect to a non-weight characteristic, and a security characteristic for the item corresponding to the bar code entry for that item. The checkout terminal has a processor, a scanner in communication with the processor, an item security characteristic data acquisition device in communication with the processor, and memory in communication with the processor and containing processor-executable program instructions. The processor-executable program instructions, when executed by the processor, causes the checkout terminal to (a) scan an item to obtain its bar code, (b) correlate the obtained bar code to the custom bar code format in the custom bar code format file, (c) manipulate the obtained bar code according to the correlated custom bar code format, and (d) use the manipulated bar code to retrieve security characteristic data for the item from the item security database by correlating the manipulated bar code with the bar code entry in the item security database.
In another form, the subject invention provides a method of preventing duplicate bar code entries in an item security database. The method includes the steps of (a) scanning an item to obtain its bar code, (b) correlating the obtained bar code to a custom bar code format in a custom bar code format file, (c) manipulating the obtained bar code according to the correlated custom bar code format, (d) acquiring security characteristic data of the scanned item, and (e) creating a manipulated bar code entry in an item security database correlated to the acquired security characteristic data of the scanned item.